According to legend, Santa leaves lumps of coal in the stockings of naughty children. This year he may need 536 of them, one for every member of Congress and a lump for Trump. How have they been naughty? Actually, they have been shamefully negligent. They abandoned millions of Americans by allowing all but two of the pandemic aid programs to expire. The last two expire the day after Christmas.
These programs offered economic assistance to fellow citizens who through no fault of their own suffered devastation because of the virus. They are neighbors, retail employees, service workers, and small business employees. They are not among the fortunate who can telecommute. They can only suffer without income to pay bills, pay for housing, or pay for health care.
Hyperpartisan squabbling between Republicans and Democrats distracts them from attending to the plight of these Americans. The result is a further rending or pulling apart of our society. One group can continue to invest in a bull market. The other group often cannot invest in groceries. We are in a class-based recession, with hardship focused disproportionately on one segment of our society.
Republicans and Democrats must set aside toxic hyperpartisanship and act now. If they do not, at least Santa will know where to leave the coal. He only has to look for the 536 grinches that stole Christmas.
I'm Bob Evans and that is my perspective.
